Engine starting apparatus



July 14, 1931. w. A. yCHRYST 1,814,241

ENGNE STARTING APPARATUS E75 @my July 14, 1931. w. A. cHRYsT v ENGNE STARTING APPARATUS Filed sept. 29, 1925 2 sheets-shear 5 gine member, to

Patented July 14, 1931 WILLIAM A. GHRYST, F DAYTON,

OHIO,

QASSIGNOR.,` BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

DELCO-REMY CORPORATION, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Application filed September 29, 1923. Serial No. 665,727.

This invention relates to engine starting apparatus of the type in which an overrunning clutch is employed between a starting motor anda pinion which engages the enpermit the pinion to overrun the motor when the engine becomes self operative. The principal objects of the invention are to employ a clutch which may be mounted on the armature shaft in such a manner as to avoid splitting the shaft, to

provide an apparatus adapted for manual engagement with an engine gear and having an overrunning clutch shiftable with the pinion and adapted to lower cost of production than the roller type clutch used heretofore for this purpose, and, preferably, to employ a mechanically. operated overrunning clutch of the axial thrust type which takes up positively without material slipping.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section,

of the essential portions of a starting mechanism constituting this invention, the starting pinion being out of engagement wtih gear teeth on an engine flywheel;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the starting mechanism and so much of an engine as suffices to show the application of the starting mechanism thereto;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the essential portions of the starting mechanism with the starting pinion in engagement with a gear on the flywheel of an engine, the housings for the motor and starting gear being in lorigitudinal section; and

ig. 4 is a transverse section on ,the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.. f

In Fig. v2, a fragment of the cylinder block and crank case of an internal-combustion engine is indicated by numeral 10. The usual flywheel on the crank shaft is shown at 11. Formed on or secured to theflywheel are gear teeth l2 with which the starting pinion driven by the motor may be caused to engage in order that the flywheel and crank shaft m y bel rotated by the motor to start the engine, or disengaged to prevent the motor from being rotated by the engine after the latter has been started and `is option 16,

' extremity of the erating in the usual manner. The flywheel 11 may be incased by a flywheel housing comprising the flanged casings 13 and 14 secured together by the bolts l5. Said casing 14 may have a sleeve or tubular projecadapted to surround a portion of a housing 17 for the motor transmission mechanism. The lhousing 17 may have a flange 18 between its ends through which bolts 18a may bepassed in order to secure it to the end face of the sleeve or tubular projection 16. To the forward end of housing 17 (the left-hand end as shown in Fig. 2) the motor housing 19 may be secured by any suitable means. A bearing 20 in the end plate 2l of the motor housing and a bearing 22 on the transmission housin 17, which overhangs the gear 12 on the flywheel 11, support opposite ends of the motor armature shaft. Projecting upward through the floor board 23 is a rod 24 terminating ina starting pedal 25. A flanged cup-like member 26, secured to the floor board, guides the rod 24, and a coiled compression spring 27 surrounding said rod between the bottom of the cup-like member and the pedal 25 urges the pedal upwardly. Rod 24 is connected by a link 31 with a lever 28 fulcrumed at 29 on housing 17. v Said lever 28 is adapted to cause the starting pinion to engage or disengage gear l2 on the flywheel 11, and

l to close the circuit of the motor by pressing upon a switch button 30, as willl be more cifically described hereinafter.

As shown somewhat conventionally in Figs. 1 and 3, the motor housing 19 supports spethe usual pole pieces and field windings, and

incloses an armature 32 mounted on an armature shaft 33 supported by bearings 30 and 22. The opening in bearing 22 may be lined with `a bushing 34, forming a bearing seat for the stop and journal member 35 secured to the Member 35 has a flange 36 engaging the inner face of bearing`22, and a two-diameter interior hole, the smaller portion of which is threaded and receives the correspondingly reduced and preferably left-hand threaded end 37 of the armature shaft. The outside end of said member 35 may have notches extremity of armature shaft 33.`

38, adapted to be engaged by a pin 39 passed through a hole in the end of the armature shaft whereby the member is compelled to rotate with the shaft, which is designed, in the embodiment shown, to rotate in a clockwise direction when viewed from the right-hand end of Fig. 1. The flanged end 36 of said member 35 is adapted to receive the impact of the starting pinion whenever it jumps suddenly into mesh with the iiy- 'wheel gear teeth in response to the expansive force of spring 51, or is forced over by the coaction of the sleeve and oblique splines on the shaft, as will be more fully explained hereinafter, and said member may, of course, be readily removed and replaced. The journal member therefore protects the motor gear casing from wear and injury due to impact of the pinion 40 and may be readily renewed.

The starting pinion 40 is sleeved on the armature shaft 33 so as to slide and rotate freely thereon unless clutched thereto by means to be presently described. It is preferred to line the axial bore of said pinion with a bushing 41. The starting pinion 4() may be caused to slide longitudinally of the armature shaft into mesh with gear 12, by the right of Fig. 1) a clutch advancing (to sleeve 42, and may be removed from engagement with -said gear `12 by retracting (to the left in Fig. 1) said sleeve. The pinion 40 and sleeve 42 are connected by a clutch mechanism (indicated as an entirety by numeral 43) permitting a slight extent of lost motion in an axial direction, but compelling the movement of one whe-n the other moves in the direction of the laxis after the-lost motion has been taken up.

That portion of the armature shaft 33 that is embraced by the sleeve 42 in its retracted position, as shown in Fig. 1,' is helically splined in a right hand direction.' In the illustrated embodiment there are two splines 44 formed at an angle of about 45?, more or less, to the axis. Sleeve 42 is provided with one or more internal splines or lugs 45 coacting with the splines 44 and so disposed that relative axial or longitudinal movement of the sleeve with respect to the armature shaft enforces also a relative rotation. The end ofsleeve 42 adjacent the pinion 40 has a fiange 46, and the o posite end a flange 47 between which is slida ly mounted an operating collar 48 having a bearing flange 49, said collar being engaged by the forked end 50 of the described leve`r 2:8. A compression spring 51 surrounds sleeve 42 between the flange 49 of' operating collar 48 and the flange 46 on the sleeve. When lever 28 is rocked by pressing upon the pedal 25, the

forked extremities of lever 28 will bearagainst the flange 49 of the collar 48 and force the sleeve 42, through said spring 51, in a direction to move the pinion 40 toward of the pinion is arrested or obstructed.

Should the movement ofthe pinion be arrested before it reaches final meshing posi-v tion, the spring 51 will be compressed by the pressure of the operators foot applied to the pedal and lever 28 and increase the pressure tending to lock the clutch.

The clutch 43 preferred is of the multiple disk type. The disks are flat rings andmay be of metal, one set beingpreferably of a diEerent kind of metal than the other. The clutch comprises a cup-shaped member 52 rigidly secured to the pinion 40; a plurality of disks 53 keyed to the member 52; a plurality of disks 54 keyed tothe sleeve 42; a loose, flat, friction ring 55 disposed between the inner face of cup-like-body 52 and the adjacent disk 53; a dished retainer 56, and a stop 57, which may be a ring of spring material seated in a groove in the inner periph- -ery of the cup-shaped member 52.` The space between the stop ring 57 and the retainer 56, when the clutch disks are in close contact, represents the amount of lost motion possible between the pinion 40 and the clutch sleeve 42.

The disk-like bottom or closed end of clutch cup 52.is centrally perforated, and may be exteriorly countersunk around the central perforation on a radius equal to that of the pinion 40. An annular series of holes 58, corresponding in spacing and disposition to the spacing and disposition of the teeth of pinion 40, perforate the clutch cup around the outer edge of the countersunk portion. The end face of pinion 40 that is adjacent the clutch cup 52 is made with a short, tubular projection 59, concentric with the axis ofthe pinion, the metal of which is suiciently ductile and malleable to permit of riveting or expanding it into the central opening of the clutch cup in order to secure the latter to the pinion. End portions of the pinion teeth are left projecting a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the countersunk portion of the clutch cup, as at 60. The clutch cup and gear are secured rigidly together by insertingthe tubular projection 59 into the central opening ofthe clutch cup and the ends 60 of the pinion teeth into the holes 58 in said cup, and then riveting, expanding or spinning the ductile and malleable projection 59 to the cup. It is intended that the pinion shall be heat treated in such manner as to leave the central projection 59 relatively soft so that it can be riveted or expanded as described and the teeth relatively hard and tough to resist shearing strains. 4

ited extent, as

upon the force in and insulated f the The cylindrical wall of the clutch cup may have one or a plurality of slots (preferably four, see Fig. 4) formed therethrough, parallel with its axis, for receiving the outwardly projecting lugs or keys 53a on the clutch disks 53, by means of which the disks 53 are permitted to rotate only when the clutch cup rotates, but may move longitudinally relative to each other and lto the clutch cup to the limited extent hitherto indicated unless forced together.

The sleeve 42 projects beyond its flange 46 (to the right as shown in Fig. 1) as at 42a, this projecting portion being slotted (preferably at points 90 apart as shown in Fig. 4) to receive lugs or keys 54a projecting inwardly from the disks 54. By this connection between sleeve 42 and disks 54, the latter cannot rotate independently of the sleeve 42, but may move longitudinally with respect to each other and said sleeve a limpreviously indicated.

If the sleeve and pinion be `forced toward each other, the two series of clutch disks will be pressed into frictional engagement and said sleeve and pinion willbe frictionally clutched together to a degree dependent with which they are urged toward each other. If the sleeve be moved away from the pinion, the clutch disks will be left free to separate. After the lost motion represented by the space between. the retainer plate 56 and stop ring 57 has been taken up by movement ofthe sleeve away from the pinion, further movement of the sleeve (to the left in Fig. l) carries the pinion with it.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a motor circuit controlling switch is mounted upon the motor casing 19. A switch supportand housing 61 carries a fixed contact 62 and binding post 63, suitably insulated,and a movable switch 64 that is secured to but electrically insulated rom va slidable actuator 65. Said housing 61 encloses a fixed contact 66 sleeved on a connector 7 0 mounted from the motor housing 19. The movable switch member 64 is adapted to bridge across the fixed contacts 62 and 66 when depressed, and otherwise to be held out of contact posedbetween the-housing 61 and the button 30 on the upper end of actuator 65, which slides in a tubular guide stud 69 riveted to housing 61. The guide stud 69 serves also to center the spring 67. Connector 70, it will be understood is in the motor circuit.

` The foot controlled lever 28 isadapted to close the switch 64 at the end of the movement thereof produced by pressing downwardly upon the pedal 25. The switch closing position is indicated in the lever has reached this position, the sleeve and pinion will have been moved b it to the position indicated in full lines 1n Fig.

by a spring 67 dis-v Fig. 3 When b For the purpose of closing said switch, lever 28 is provided with an ol'set member 28a carrying an adjustable mechanical contact 28?) shown as a headed bolt threaded into the end of the offset member and adapted to be secured in the selected adjustment by a lock nut 280. y

For a purpose that will be elucidated in the explanation of the mode of operation to follow, the space between the flange 47 on the 'sleeve 42 and iange 49 on collar 48 is enough wider than the collar engaging terminal of the lever 28, that the lever may move suiiiciently to allow the switch 64 to open the motor circuit before it engages the flange 47 to withdraw the pinion 40 from mesh with the gear 12 after the engine has begun to re and also to allow the flange 49 to draw away from fork-ends 50 when the clutch is locked automatically. vAs illustrated in Fig. 1, a stop sleeve 71 is so disposed as to abut against the 'forward end (left endas shown in Fig. l) of clutch sleeve 42 and limit the extent of movement of the clutch sleeve and pinion when the latter is withdrawn from mesh with the iywheel gear by the expansion of spring 2 Flange 47 may be compressed into a groove in sleeve 42. Pressure applied to the iange 47 by lever 28 imparts a posltive unyielding movement to the 'clutch sleeve,

While the pressure of said lever against the flange 49 is transmitted to said sleeve by an elastic transmission member.

Figs. l and 2 illustrate the starting mechanism in the inactive condition existing at all times except when the engine is being started. Fig. 3 illustrates in dotted lines the position of the starting inion, clutch and clutch sleeve a moment a er the motor circuit has been closed while the pinion is turning the engine Hywheel, and in full lines the position momentarily assumed by the pinion, clutch and clutch sleeve at the instant the switch is closed during the engaging movement and also theposition of the clutch sleeve when the engine speeds up under its own power and begins to rotate the pinion faster than the armature rotatesl during starting, the pinion then having the forward position shown in dotted lines.

When the pedal 25 is depressed in order to start the engine, the resultant movement of the lever 28 moves the collar 48 toward the engine flywheel which tends'to move the clutch sleeve, clutch and pinion in the same direction. In so moving two conditions may be encountered: (1) Thevteeth of the pinion may advance in registration with the spaces between the teeth of the flywheel gear, or (2) the ends of the teeth of the pinion may e in registration with and strike against the ends of the teeth of the iiywheel gear.

In condition 1) the pinion will slide freely into mesh to the position shown in Fig. 3.

tates with the clutch sleeve and armature shaft and turns the flywheel and crank shaft of the engine. As very little resistance is encountered during movement of the pinion to meshing position under this condition, the

' `spring 51 is not compressed and the clutch not advance until it has been rotated far offers little resistance t0 relative rotation of sleeve and pinion. The sleeve rotates as it advances and the pinion moves non-rotatively along the shaft as soon as its teeth enter between the teeth of the gear 12. When the shaft begins to rotate, thevsleeve advances, as stated, and the clutch locks as soon as the resistance offered by the pinion, meshed with the flywheel gear, is sufficient. The parts are so designed that the locking of the clutch is effected within the space represented by the distance between the full and dotted lines of Fig. 3.

When the engine begins to fire (the pedal 25 still remaining depressed) v'the pinion begins to rotate faster than the armature shaft. Consequently, the clutch sleeve moves slightly to the left (as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3) by reason of the coaction of the splines and lugs on armature shaft and sleeve. This movement is permitted to the extent shown by the space between the dotted and full lines in Fig. 3, because lever 28 advanced the pinion and clutch sleeve only to the position shown in full lines, the further advance having been caused by the rotary movement of the armature shaft, as eX- plained, thus leaving a space between the ends 50 of lever 28 and the flange 49 of the operating collar, which is suiicient to permit the described retraction and to release the clutch so that the pinion may rotate freely on the armature shaft. Pressure may be relieved from the pedal 25 as soon as the engine starts. Then the spring 27 presses the pedal upwardly, and rocks the lever 28, first releasing switch 64 and stop-- ping the motor. The terminals 50 of the lever then engage with flange 47 and move the sleeve to the left (as viewed in, Figs. 1 and 3) until it abuts against the end of the stop sleeve 71.

In condition (2) the teeth of the pinion will strike against the ends of the teethof gear 12 on the flywheel and the pinion canenough to bring its teeth into registration with the spaces between the teeth of the when the clutch discs engage.

flywheel gear. As the lever 28 continues to move, the collar 48 will slide along the clutch sleeve 42, compressing the spring 51 which .transmits pressure to the sleeve 42 and forces the clutch members into closer contact, the lever closes the starting switch and the starting of the motor ensuing upon the closing of its circuit will immediately cause such pressure to be exerted upon the clutch sleeve as to lock the clutch and rotate the pinion, whereupon at the first opportunity the compressed spring 51 will expand and' force the pinion into mesh. The clutch will instantaneously release until full mesh is effected and then will lock again as described in connection with condition (1).

Release of driving connection between the motor and flywheel is achieved in the manner described under condition (1).

It will be apparent thatdanger of breaking gear or pinion teeth in meshing or unmeshing is substantially eliminated since the pinion is free to rotate during the meshing and unmeshing operation, it being locked to the armature shaft only when in substantially fully meshed position or at the instant when it may be necessary to turn it p slightly to aline the teeth of the pinion with the teeth spaces of the gear; also that the armature cannot be rotated a material amount by the speeding up of the engine.

The multiple type disc clutch .shown has parts adapted for low cost of manufacture as by stamping them from sheet stock. A plurality of driving and driven clutch discs are used to provide a large friction area and promote a positive driving of the pinion The use of a screw having a pitch of from about 35 to 45 tends to thrust the discs rapidly together and form a nonslipping connection between the motor and pinion. 'l

While the embodiment described and shown is the one now preferred, it is to be understood that changes in details may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In an engine starting system, the combination of a motor; a motor driven shaft; an engine gear; a pinion slidably and rotatably mounted on the shaft and normally disengaged from the gear; a stop abutted by the pinion whendriving the gear; a f riction clutch including a member connected with the pinion and a nut threadedly connected with the shaft; and manually operable means for moving the clutch and pinion luntil the pinion is substantially in mesh with the gear but is spaced from the stop.; said' threaded connection providing for moving the nut endwise to engage the clutch in response to the turning of the shaft by the motor, and for disengaging the clutch in re- A mounted on the shaft and normally disenaged from the gear; a normally disengaged riction clutch for connecting the shaft and pinion; manual means operable in case of initial registration of pinion and gear for moving the pinion into substantial enmeshment with the gear and then for causing the motor to' operate, said means being operable in case of initial abutment ofthe pinion and gear for causing the clutch to be engaged and the motor to operate to bring the pinion into 'registration with the gear,

the manual means being incapable of engaging the clutch after the pinion has been meshed with the gear;`and means for causing the clutch to connect the pinion and shaft in response to operation'of the motor, and for causing the clutch to be disengaged in response to the engine becoming self-operative regardless of failure to release the vmanual means.

3. In an engine starting system, the combination of a motor; a motor driven shaft; an engine gear; a pinion slidably and rotatably mounted on the shaft and normally disengaged from the gear; a normally disengaged friction clutch including a member attached to the pinion and a sleeve threadedly connected with theshaft; a stop against which the pinion abuts when driving the gear; and manually operable means for urging the threaded clutch member toward the other member with yielding pressure and for causing the motor to operate, said manual means being operative to produce substantial engagement of the pinion and gear, but permitting the pinion to be spaced from the stop; the threaded connection operating to engage the clutch in response to operation of the motor, and to disengage the clutch in response to the engine becoming self-operative, regardless of failure to release the manual means.

4. In an engine starting mechanism the combination of a pinion; a sleeve; an overrunning, positively engaging, multiplate clutch directly connected between the pinion and sleeve; and manually operable means for yieldingly shifting the clutch and pinion in one direction.

5. In an engine starting mechanism the combination of a pinion; a clutch adjacent to and having a part thereof mounted on 'the pinion, an internally threaded member having a flange forming a part of the clutch; and a compression spring on the threaded member and adapted to engage the flange to 'shift the clutch and pinion.

6. In an engine starting systemthe combination of an electric motor; a screw shaft driven thereby; an engine gear; a pinion normally disconnected therefrom; a multiplate friction type overrunning clutch between the shaft and pinion; a nut on said shaft having an integral sleeve portion forming a part of the clutch; and manual means for` moving the nut, clutch and pinion to engage the engine gear and to start the moto-r.

7. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor, a helically splined shaft operated by the motor, a pinion slidable along said shaft into engagement with a gear connected with the engine to be started, a clutch having axially engageable members, the driven member of which is connected with the pinion, means for connecting the clutch driving member with the shaft and for tightening the clutch, said means comprising a nut directly, threadedly connected with said shaft, and manually operable means for shifting the nut, clutch and pinion along the shaft.

8. Engine starting apparatus according to claim 7 in which the nut, clutch and pinion are moved axially of the shaft by a pedal operated device from which motion is transmitted by a spring to the nut.

9. Engine starting apparatus according to claim 7 in which the nut is connected with the driving member of the clutch by a sleeve slidable along the shaft, in which a shifting collar is slidable along the sleeve and cooperates with a pedal operated-device, and in which a spring surrounding the sleeve transmits motion from the collar to the sleeve.

10. Engine starting apparatus according to claim 7, in which the clutch comprises sets of driving and driven clutch plates, the clutch driven plates being axially and floatingly connected with the pinion, and in which the nut is connected with a sleeve to which the clutch drivingI plates are floatingly connected.

1l. Engine starting apparatus accordin to claim 7, in which-the nut is connected with the clutch driving member by a sleeve carrying spaced ianges, one adjacent the clutch, in which a shifting collar and a coil spring are located between said flanges and surround the sleeve, the spring bearing against the flange adjacent the clutch and against the collar to force the same against the flange of the sleeve remote from the clutch and a pedal operated device for operatin the collar.

12.l ngine starting apparatus according to claim 7, in which the nut is connected with the clutch'driving member by a sleeve carrying spaced flanges, one adjacent the clutch, in which a shifting collar and a coil spring are located between said anges and surround the sleeve, the collar having a flange sov for engaging one end of the spring and a hub for engaging the flange of the sleeve remotest from the clutch, the other end of the spring engaging the flange of the sleeve nearest the clutch, and in which a pedal operated member is located between the collar iange and sleeve iange remotest from the clutch, said pedal operated member being less in dimension (longitudinally of the 10 shaft) than the normal distance between the said flanges of the sleeve and collar.

13. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor, a shaft driven thereby; a unitary sub-assembly structure comprising, a sleeve movable along the shaft and splined thereto, a pinion movable along the shaft into mesh with a gear connected with an engine to be started and a one-way clutch for connecting the sleeve and pinion,

said parts of the sub-assembly being connected for movement together along the shaft; a collar slidable along the sleeve; a coil spring surrounding the sleeve and located between the collar and clutch; a stop on the sleeve for preventing movement of the collar from the sleeve, the spring pressing the collar against the stop; and a device for moving the collar.

14. Engine 'starting apparatus according 3o to claim 13, in which the shaft has a splined portion and a smooth portion of smaller diameter than the splined portion, and in which the pinion moves directly in contact with the smooth portion of the shaft and the sleeve moves directly in contact with the splined portion.

15. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor, a shaft driven thereby, a pinion movable along the shaft 40 into engagement with a gear connected with an engine to be started, a one-way clutch having its drivin member slidably connected. with the sha and its driven member connected to the pinion, a clutch and pinion shifting device, including aA manually operable device slidable u on the shaft, a coil spring surrounding t e shaft and located between the clutch and said device, and means limiting the separation of the shifting device and the clutch driving member while permitting the spring to be compressed, said'means and the clutch providing a connection between the -pinion and the y manually operable device for retracting the p1mon.

16. In an engine starting system the combination of a power driven shaft; an engme gear; a pinion on the shaft and normally disconnected from the gear; a muleo tlplate overrunning clutch between the shaft and pinion; a sleeve encircling the shaft and connected to the clutch; means between the shaft and sleeve for controlling the clutch;

manual means engaging thev sleeve for mov- '65 ing the pinion relative to the shaft; and a.

compression spring between the manual means and clutch.

17. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; a shaft driven thereby; a unitary sub-assembly structure slidably mounted upon the shaft and comprising a sleeve drivingly connected with the shaft, a pinion adapted to mesh with the gear of an engine to be started, and a clutch connecting the sleeve and pinion for imparting rotary motion from the sleeve to the pinion and for connecting the sleeve and pinion for axial movement together along lthe shaft; and means for moving said structure along the shaft and including a yielding motion transmitting connection.

18. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a motor; a shaft driven thereby and having a smooth portion and a splined portion; a unitary sub-assembly structure slidably mounted upon the shaft and comprising a sleeve surrounding the splined portion of the shaft and drivingly connected therewith and a pinion slidable upon the smooth portion of the shaft, and a clutch connecting the sleeve and pinion for imparting rotary motion from the sleeve to the pinion and for connecting` the sleeve and pinion for axial movement together along the shaft; and means for moving said structure along the shaft and including a yielding motion transmitting connection.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature.

- WILLIAM A. CHRYST. 

